The Commitment Garden

The garden analogy is probably nothing new to my readers. However, Saturday as I was weeding out in the 96 degree summer heat, several truths hit me again over the head.

Several years ago, our family spent a long Mother's Day Sunday preparing a garden bed around our patio. We worked and worked to get that bed ready, sprayed, dug, and laid down the landscape fabric - confident it would do its job and there would be no more weeding. The next year, though, the weeds were rampant, making for a lot more back-breaking pulling and chopping to assure our beautiful new bushes and flowers had a chance to take root and grow again.

Years later the bushes are big, the flowers showy and we regularly enjoy visits from skittery little butterflies and zooming hummmingbirds. Was it worth all the effort? Is it still worth the effort each year to prepare the bed, trim the bushes, lay new mulch, pull the errant weeds?

It seems to me that the gardens we plant and nurture are much like the relationships God brings into our lives. Developing a God-designed relationship is hard work and to do it right requires a lot of effort. As broken people, we all have shortcomings, fears, struggles--those weeds that want to choke out the beautiful, the mercy, the grace.

Last Spring I put a lot of effort into a small flower bed in front of the house. However, I neglected some key elements and when I returned from a short trip the weeds had overtaken it. Sadly, I watched in dismay as all that work was ruined. If I had been faithful and weeded the moment I returned, things might have been different. I gave up too soon - I lacked endurance, faithfulness and commitment to my dear friends.

Looking back on those two different plantings, what made the difference? Last year's planting succumbed to the overwhelming heat and dryness, but I can't blame it all on the summer sun. Unfortunately, it was my lack of devotion and care that also contributed to the sad outcome. Yes, it takes work to grow a garden . . . it takes patience, love, and devotion to grow a relationship.

And, what about those instances where the other person is stumbling, weeds are growing up in their life. What do I do then? Do I have the faith not to give up on them even when they've given up on themselves? It's all about commitment - indeed family and faith. Much like the fruits of the spirit - a garden of relationship thrives through the Spirit. The herb garden is thriving through the heat. Why? Love and commitment.

It's a lot to take in - this garden life. Am I up for the challenge? Are you? I'm determined this year will be different. My herb garden is now flourishing; pretty flowers dot the front landscape . . . and the waters of life will sustain them, along with a little help from me. They've got a good start, but it's up to me to maintain our relationship, nurture it - persevere. Love believes all things. (I Corinthians 13:7)

Fragility - It's You I Need

And, you thought you could get rid of me that easily. Well, it's not happening. I know. I know. You needn't remind me that I've been a bit lackadasical since the Lenten Experiment whipped my butt just a few short weeks ago.

"A bit lackadasical?"

"C'mon - downright lazy, I'd say."

Looking way back to sometime mid-February when the Lenten Experiment launched its monumental work in my life, I made the crazy boast about making the habit of writing every day would be easy once I mastered it for the 40 days of Lent.

As expected, this has not come to pass. I've shown my true colors, that most unpleasant of characteristics--fragility. And, that monster of all monsters - unfaithfulness. My inability to form a habit.

At least I am comforted by the fact that I'm probably not alone in this. As humans, we are all fragile, vulnerable. As fragile as a wind-blown tender blade of first Spring grass.

Then looking out over a well-tended, manicured landscape of Kentucky Bluegrass, its obvious that that single shoot wasn't meant to go it alone. Solitary aloneness doesn't come easy for the grasses. They need the stability, strength of one another to fight the winds. Intertwining roots and worms - rich, musky earth - bonding, shared experiences.

Growing up wild and untamed, yet rooted and grounded. Full of promise . . . alive and green.

It's YOU I need. It's friends. It's family. It's enemies. It's a wealth of ancient words with emblazoned meanings. It's Jesus.

Lenten Experiment - Day 40 Something!

How is it that old cliche goes? Better late than never. Ha ha ha. Well, I guess that about sums up my struggle this week with completing my commitment to my blog for Lent. Easter weekend was busy with commitments and activities despite our small family. And, as I began to reflect more on how to summarize the Lenten blog experience, I got bogged down in a quagmire of indecision and exhaustion.

Here it is Friday after Easter, 4:47 a.m. and I decided it is very important to finish what I started no matter what time it is, no matter how tired I am, and no matter whether I finish successfully or not (at least in my own limited mindscape).

I've felt for some time that the summation of 40 days of thoughts might be a bit daunting task to undertake. And, frankly, I may ruminate over this thing a bit more before I get it all down on cyber-paper. The 40 days of Lent have revealed much to me about wonder, family, life, death, God's work in this world and in my life and many other things.

To begin, I need to share a list of words that summarize this recent learning experience.

Life

Death

Family

Contemplation

Understanding

Darkness

Light

Chosen

Joyful

Hope

Blessings

Faith

Listening

Peace

Observation

Friends

Encouragement

Persevere

Prayer

Penitence

Giving

Self-Denial

Last night I watched another Skit Guys video on YouTube and it spoke to me in a deep way because as I tallied up the list of words that capsulized the Lenten Experiment, I realized those words represented something much more. While, just words, they are qualities, attitudes, ideas, and thoughts that have indeed enriched and shaped my existence. Simply put, they have been tools in God's hands - tools to mold me into something new; someone new.

So, watch God's Chisel from the Skit Guys and let it shape your thoughts, your heart, your life. Only as we submit to God's work in our life, can we truly grow and develop and become more like Him. We are God's masterpiece!

Lenten Experiment - Day 17 (The Refreshment of Friends)

This week, I tortured myself once again with several late night and one all-nighter in the continuous pursuit of 1) sticking with my Lenten commitment to write each day and 2) fortifying my eBay store with new treasures to sell.

Thankfully I truly enjoy both these pursuits so don't feel sorry for me. :-)

So, with all that said, it's why I'm lagging behind in my writing because last night I just couldn't keep my sleepy eyes open long enough to write. I'm really not at my best when I'm overly tired. I went to bed at 9:30pm and slept until 8:00am this morning. Guess I needed some refreshment.

Even more refreshment came in the form of friendship last night as well. And I'm so very grateful for our dear friends Donna and Craig. We have walked beside them since our college days and while we rarely see them only upon occasion because they live two hours away, they are always there with us in our thoughts, our hearts and our prayers.

That's who true friends are - they are very precious and many times words simply cannot describe how deeply they touch our lives. "A friend loves at all times . . ." (Proverbs 17:17)

As we were sitting at Olive Garden last night talking, I realized how quickly time passes. Dinner was over in just a couple of hours and those moments can never be recaptured. While we relive the joyful times we spend with friends and they give us comfort later, it's so important to reach out and continually seek new opportunities to love. For a friend loves at all times . . . through the joy and the tears, through times of sorrow and across the miles that separate us.

Lenten Experiment - Day 10 (My Drivel Needed a Little Sharpening)

Today, Friday, March 2nd I have struggled all day with the focus of my blog entry. Is it because I lack the creativity to day-after-day churn out meaningful drivel? Or have I tapped the minutia of data in my brain already? It's probably a combination of both. LOL

So, at the suggestion of someone close to me (you know who you are) and without further ado, I will begin today's entry rambling along without much purpose or direction. You, the reader, will probably lose interest quite quickly when you become frustrated with my meanderings. Or, you might just become curious and follow along because you have nothing else better to do on a lazy Saturday morning. I promise I'll keep it short.

I was discussing my blog entry this evening with this same dear friend and he suggested simply that this day's blog entry could actually evolve into a purposeful meditation on the lack of purpose or some such thought as this. I'm probably not getting his complete thought quite right because I doubt at this late hour if I am thinking in the same dimension. However, he has a wondrous gift for deep thinking that many times challenges and encourages me to think deeper myself. So, here goes nothing . . . and we're already on the third paragraph. phew . . .

The writer of Proverbs reminds me that "Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." And, that is what a good friend does - he or she sharpens us - making us think beyond ourselves, stretching our faith, challenging us to go deeper in thought and relationships.

Uh oh, as crazy as this sounds, it looks like Nick was right - the blog and my ramblings actually turned into something meaningful. And, above all it demonstrated to me once again that most times to see results we have to just jump in there and "do it." Persevere, have a little trust, don't give in, look beyond yourself. Another Lenten life lesson learned.